A Loleta man was arrested on suspicion of two felony evading charges after failing to yield to a police officer because he reportedly wanted to buy time to dump a bag of methamphetamine, Ferndale Police Department Sgt. Adam Stricker said Thursday.

Stricker said the suspect, John Joseph Hanley, 36, was going about 80 mph in a 25 mph zone in downtown Ferndale when he attempted to stop his vehicle on Monday.

"Once he was in custody, he said he didn't stop because he wanted to buy time to dump a bag of methamphetamine," Stricker said. "He did dump it, and after retracing our steps, we couldn't find it. It was an extremely windy day."

Hanley's car was stopped near Crestview Drive in Fortuna after Stricker requested assistance from the Fortuna Police Department, and officers there placed a spike strip on southbound U.S. Highway 101 between 12th Street and Kenmar Road, according to a Ferndale Police Department press release.

"We took him into custody without incident," Stricker said. "There was a female in the passenger seat who was detained briefly and released."

According to the release, Hanley was arrested on suspicion of reckless evading of a police officer, reckless evading of a police officer while driving in the opposite lane and being an unlicensed driver.